Notes on the origin of evolutionary computation

If during the long course of ages and under varying conditions of life, organic
beings vary at all in the several parts of their organisation, and I think this
cannot be disputed; if there be, owing to the high geometrical powers of
increase of each species, at some age, season, or year, a severe struggle for life,
and this certainly cannot be disputed; then, considering the infinite complexity of the relations of all organic beings to each other and to their conditions
of existence, causing an infinite diversity in structure, constitution, and habits,
to be advantageous to them, I think it would be a most extraordinary fact if no
variation ever had occurred useful to each being’s own welfare, in the same
way as so many variations have occurred useful to man. But if variations
useful to any organic being do occur, assuredly individuals thus characterised
will have the best chance of being preserved in the struggle for life; and from
the strong principle of inheritance they will tend to produce offspring similarly characterised. This principle of preservation, I have called, for the sake of
brevity, Natural Selection.